A Letter to Mom
by littlebluedress016
Summary: Katniss finds a letter from her daughter. Written for Mothers' Day! Oneshot


Do. Not. Own. Anything.

And please don't put it in alert. This is a oneshot.

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_**A Letter to Mom**_

Katniss Mellark looked curiously at the piece of paper sticking out of her fourteen year old daughter's book. A bright red "A" is scrawled in the upper right corner, along with a comments she could not quite see. She looked around- Iris is nowhere to be found. Assuring herself that it would not be an invasion of privacy- after all, it was homework- she took it out and started reading.

Her eyes immediately fell on the letter written in red. A surge of pride filled her. It was clear to most people that both her children inherited their father's talent for words. She read the title of the assignment: A Letter to my Parents. Katniss took a deep breath before reading it.

_Dear Mom and Daddy,_

_First of all, I want to tell you that I love you. I could not imagine better parents. It must be hard, raising two headstrong, stubborn children, but you make it seem so easy. Thank you for always being there, for listening to us, for your comforting words, for letting us shine, for being patient and all those cakes and pastries you let us take from the bakery. I know that I am far from being perfect, not even a perfect daughter, but you never failed to make me feel special._

_Thank you for giving us everything: a warm, happy home, a loving environment and all our needs and wants. I also want to tell you that we appreciate all your sacrifices. You made this world a better and safer place for us to live in, and gave us the happy, carefree childhood you never had. _

_I'm sorry that I can be stubborn (wonder where I got that from?), and that sometimes I can be a pain to deal with. Growing up, I might not have understood why you were so protective, or why the slightest of things upset Mom very easily, but now I know- you're just scared to lose someone you love again. I'm sorry for being disrespectful at times, too. I see now that all you wanted was the best for us._

_I know you've been through so much. Mom, I know that this was not your plan, to marry and have kids. I know it took Daddy three years to get you to marry him, and twelve more years to convince you to have kids, but I'm thankful you overcame all of your reservations and agreed anyway. I hope that Orion and I managed to help you heal somehow, although I know that you probably would not completely forget everything. I still hear you screaming at night, Mom. And Daddy, I know you still have those bad days when you see nightmarish visions trying to pull you under. But you still fight it off for our sake. I know it took a lot of courage for you to move on, to start anew. Your strength makes me stronger and I love you for it._

_There are so many other things I want to thank you for. But words just aren't enough to describe the immense gratitude I feel towards you. Just know that we love you, and that I'm always going to be proud to be your daughter. You may be tributes, star-crossed lovers, symbols of the rebellion, the Mockingjay, the Girl on Fire and the Boy with the Bread, but to me, you're always going to be Mom and Daddy._

_And I won't have it any other way._

_Forever grateful and always loving you,_

_Iris_

Katniss started crying as she finished her daughter's letter. Her knees buckled and collapsed into the couch, her hand covering her mouth.

"Katniss?"

Peeta appeared from the kitchen, looking worried upon seeing his wife's tears. "What happened?"

Katniss shook her head. "No, it's nothing," she said. "But I think you should see this."

She handed him the letter and he read it, a smile tugging at his lips the whole time. When he finished, he had a wide grin on his face. "Do you think she would have shown this to us?"

"I would have, if my nosy parents didn't beat me to it."

Iris stood at the doorway, her arms crossed and a smile on her face. She walked to her mother and handed her a bunch of dandelions. "Happy Birthday, Mom," she said, hugging her. "And Happy Mothers' Day."

"Thank you," Katniss said, kissing her daughter's forehead. "Thank you so much."

"Aw, come on, Mom, it should be me thanking you!" Iris beamed. "I left Orion in the kitchen with the frosting, so if you want cake, you might want to go down now."

Her parents laughed and followed her out.

As her son and daughter argued on who gets to cut the cake, Katniss smiled at her husband, who pulled her close. Moments like this made everything worthwhile.

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Belated Mothers' Day fic! Review!


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